Sunday 19 July 2015

Italy..

The Col de la Seigne was used since Roman times as an efficient trade route over the Alps, even in preference to the lower Little St Bernard pass to the south over which a road now passes. It's now part of the popular Tour du Mt Blanc, which circles the mountain in about ten days - we are far from being the only people crossing the col on a day of mixed sun and cloud. Here's the view back down as we climb. 


And, from a little lower down, looking up from a chapel in the last tiny abandoned hamlet. The col is up to the right. 


The top - and Italy! Richard at the col. 


Looking down on the Italian side.  


And up to Mt Blanc.


A night in a refuge about 200m down from the col - full of walkers doing the Tour du Mt Blanc and a large group of Italians on mountain bikes. Here's the view up to a glacier above the refuge. 


And then a day to get down to Courmayeur, my final destination, past more glaciers running off Mt Blanc or Monte Bianco as it is now called. This is the largest - the Miage glacier is the largest debris-covered glacier in the Italian Alps and it is hard to see where ice ends and moraine begins. 


Looking down to Courmayeur at the head of the long Val d'Aosta that winds down to the Italian plains. 


The steep descent produces a large mountain butterfly that I had been hoping to see - the gorgeous Apollo. (I've no idea what is the tiddler on the same thistle.)


My boots are breaking up and it's time to go home!


Many thanks to my companions for part of the way - Andy, Jay, Tina and Honi, Riccardo, Patrick and Judy, and Richard; to everyone who posted comments to the blog or who emailed encouragement; and to my hosts in many welcoming B&Bs and little hotels. It has been a wonderful journey..


10 comments:

  1. Yes ! Congratulations ! Awesome ! Enorme ! Champagne tonight !
    Maryse.

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  2. Fantastic! Well done John. What an achievement and great to watch your progress from afar.
    French class again this year?
    Chris

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  3. Congratulations! What a trip. Looking forward to catching up!

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  4. Congratulations! What a trip. Looking forward to catching up!

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  5. Toutes mes félicitations! I have liked so much to follow your walk with this blog. I know more about butterfly and my own country now. Have a nice time in Italy.

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  6. Bravo John, Bravissimo

    You did your long march!

    The Blog has been great, especially the photographs of butterflies, mountains and loyal but fading boots.

    I wonder how Winchester will seem after a life on the open road!? I think I can see another walk coming on!?
    XX

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  7. Awesome! I look forward to hearing more about it all! Well done!

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  8. Hae just seen the final days, John. What a vicarious experience! And what a contrast to our days in the flat woods and étangs! We'll have to have a short stroll all together in Dorset soon to compare and try to ease you back to England.

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  9. The last few blogs from the mountains were wonderful. I must go there with you some time. I just hope I have the energy to retrace your steps. I'm very keen to know how much you weighed after the trip!

    See you seen in Cornwall, I hope.

    Andy.

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  10. Well done! I've so enjoyed following you. We were in Genoa this week after my daughter's wedding in Siena last Saturday, so have only just caught up with your last few posts. If and when Julian ever retires and if we are fit enough we thought maybe we could walk from our English house to our French one ?! Thanks again.

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